Overview of the Unit
The students will present a design for an energy bar and its wrapper for Nike’s energy bar branch that meets the company’s criteria. This artifact will give students an idea of what goes on during the production and design process of a product. It will allow students to learn within a context about broad subjects in geometry, algebra, chemistry, and biology (area, solving simple equations, calorimetry, chemical reactions, metabolism of humans, etc.). Scientists and mathematicians are used to create and modify energy bar recipes and packaging designs by companies that manufacture energy bars, so this artifact would be respected in the fields of science and math. The students will be given a large number of parameters when creating their energy bars that includes the maximum cost, the packaging restraints, the chemical makeup, the appearance, the number of calories per unit, and others. With many different components of the design to keep in mind, the students will have to spend a solid amount of time on this project. This artifact hits on a number of skills. The artifact will incorporate knowledge of calorimetry and how to solve for calorimetric equations (using algebra and chemistry), energy exchange (incorporating ratios and equation solving skills), and metabolism concepts of how their bar will break down in the human body (a key concept in biology and chemistry). The students will present their design orally, which incorporates many English skills. Classmates will critique the projects of others and use this knowledge to reflect on their own design following presentations.
Project-Based Instruction and Learning
Project-based instruction, or PBI, differs from "traditional" practices of teaching in that it is mainly student driven. The students participate in a meaningful, authentic learning experience through asking questions, conducting investigations, interpreting and collecting data, forming conclusions, and communicating these conclusions (Short, Lundsgaard, and Krajcik, 2008). This inquiry-based approach allows students to remain actively involved and responsible for their own learning. There are several research studies that underscore the effectiveness of PBI. This method of instruction "can engage students, improve test scores, and increase cooperative learning skills" (Cook, 2009). Additionally, PBI can improve problem-solving skills, the overall grasp of a concept or topic, and communication techniques among students (Cook, 2009). PBI not only increases content knowledge and important skills, but keeps learners engaged in a valuable and relevant problem solving process.
Meaningfulness of this PBI Unit
This unit is meaningful to students because it allows them to create their own product from their collected data and work. The scenario presented to students is relevant in that popular companies, such as Nike, are in constant need of real engineers, scientists, and mathematicians to come up with designs for products. Students will be designing portions of their investigations, analyzing and collecting data, forming conclusions based on their analysis, and communicating their designs: a method quite similar to the real design process for a product. Additionally, this unit allows students to make applications to their daily lives, as calories and nutrition will come into play when constructing their energy bar.
Five Essential Elements of PBI
The five essential elements of PBI are as follows:
1. Students explore a problem that is meaningful and relevant to them, often in the form of a "driving question".
2. Student engage in inquiry.
3. Students collaborate to discover solutions.
4. Students use technology to gather, analyze, and communicate information.
5. Students create an artifact to demonstrate what they've learned.
In this PBI unit, the driving question is, "How can math and science be used to design an efficient energy bar?" As discussed above, we believe this problem to be relevant and meaningful to students in that it allows students to participate in a design process that real scientists and mathematicians are involved in when creating products. Students will participate in inquiry-based lessons that include "Investigations" and "Benchmark Lessons" in which students will be collecting and analyzing data through the use of technology. Students will be in groups throughout the entire unit to allow for collaboration within the teams. Ultimately, these groups of 2-3 students will present their final artifact, a design for the energy bar and the wrapper, to the class. Students will then have the opportunity to critique other groups' designs and reflect on their own designs in a class discussion.
1. Students explore a problem that is meaningful and relevant to them, often in the form of a "driving question".
2. Student engage in inquiry.
3. Students collaborate to discover solutions.
4. Students use technology to gather, analyze, and communicate information.
5. Students create an artifact to demonstrate what they've learned.
In this PBI unit, the driving question is, "How can math and science be used to design an efficient energy bar?" As discussed above, we believe this problem to be relevant and meaningful to students in that it allows students to participate in a design process that real scientists and mathematicians are involved in when creating products. Students will participate in inquiry-based lessons that include "Investigations" and "Benchmark Lessons" in which students will be collecting and analyzing data through the use of technology. Students will be in groups throughout the entire unit to allow for collaboration within the teams. Ultimately, these groups of 2-3 students will present their final artifact, a design for the energy bar and the wrapper, to the class. Students will then have the opportunity to critique other groups' designs and reflect on their own designs in a class discussion.
Anchoring Experience
The anchoring experience for this unit will require the "CEO of Nike's energy bar branch" to Skype in to the class computer and read the script below titled "Script Anchoring Experience". We believe this anchoring event will be more impactful and engaging for students if someone uses Skype to talk with the students rather than just having a video playing for students of the "CEO" so that the students can ask questions and interact with the "CEO". It will also require this person to be available to come in for a day when the students are presenting their designs. The website to download Skype can be found at: www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer.
Script Anchoring Experience | |
File Size: | 54 kb |
File Type: | docx |